Inlay and overlay border picture mats



y 14, 1968 F. SHORE 3,382,595

INLAY AND OVERLAY BORDER PICTURE MATS Filed Dec. 15, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Share May 14, 1968 F. SHORE INLAY AND OVERLAY BORDER PICTURE MATS 5 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed D80. 15, 1966 May 14, 1968 F. SHORE INLAY AND OVERLAY BORDER PICTURE MATS Filed Dec. 15, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 445 4 INVENTOR Han/r Shore United States Patent 3,382,595 INLAY AND GVERLAY BORDER PICTURE MATS Frank Shore, 26 Lantern Road, Hicksville, NY. 11801 Filed Dec. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 602,041 9 Claims. (Cl. 40-158) This invention relates generally to picture mats such as are used to form a border around a picture or other object intended to be framed.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a picture mat which is readily adjustable so as to be adaptable for accommodating a picture of various size in length and width.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a readily adjustable picture mat which is readily adjustable around its outer edges so that the same may be made either small or larger.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a readily adjustable picture mat wherein the edges thereof adjacent the inner opening may be readily convertible to produce a shadow box effect.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a readily adjustable picture mat wherein the border adjacent the inner opening may be folded backwardly adjacent the rear side so as to produce the effect of a relatively thicker mat.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a readily adjustable picture mat which can be made with an inner opening border having a different color or texture than the remainder of the front side of the mat.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a readily adjustable picture mat wherein the outer border of the mat may be provided with a border area of a different color .or texture than the remainder of the front side of the mat.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a readily adjustable picture mat wherein the inner border or outer border of one mat is readily interchangeable with a corresponding inner border or outer border of another mat, thereby allowing the production of a two tone mat.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a readily adjustable picture mat which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in .operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a mat incorporating the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the removal of the inner borders from a pair of differently colored mats for purpose of interchange thereof,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the mats illustrated in FIG. 3 after the inner borders have been interchanged,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary rear prospective view of either one of the mats illustrated in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of mat having a removable outer border, and using the outer border upon the front face of a larger mat for use as an outer border,

3,382,595 Patented May 14, 1968 FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a pair of mats having the construction illustrated in FIG. 6 and wherein the borders have been interchanged,

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a mat having the inner border prepared for being folded Ibackwardly,

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view thereof in a next subsequent operation wherein the inner borders are folded backwardly,

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken .on the line ill-10 of FIG. 9,

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a next subsequent step wherein a backing mat is aligned for securement to the reverse side of the mat illustrated in FIG. 9,

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the completed mat construction shown in FIG. 11,

FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of FIG. 12,

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view showing yet another modified mat construction having an inner border of several layers,

FIG. 15 is an exploded view of the components used to form the construction illustrated in FIG. 14,

FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 16-16 of FIG. 14,

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary perspective View of a mat comprised of a plurality .of three borders contained within one another, in the form of either extensions or reductions to accommodate different size pictures,

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary rear perspective view thereof,

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of another modified mat construction wherein a wrap around reversible mat is provided by removing the front and filler layers from the corner slit inner border.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 20-26 of FIG. 19 and showing the reversed rounded wrap around inner border,

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary perspective view of a mat including an integral inner border,

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 21 wherein the inner border has been removed,

FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective fragmentary view of the elements comprising a mat assembly having a shadow box effect, and

FIG. 24 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 24-24 of FIG. 23.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 inclusive, the reference numeral 30 represents a readily adjustable plain white colored picture mat according to the present invention wherein there is a one-piece mat member 31 of generally rectangular configuration and having a front side 32 and a rear side 33 which are bounded by parallel outer side edges 34 and parallel outer top and bottom edges 35. This picture mat is formed from a plurality of laminations which include an attractively textured front layer 36 which is secured by means of appropriate adhesive to a central filler layer 37 which is of generally great thickness and comprised of a cheaper paper material, and a rear layer 38 which is sized and of relatively thin weight which is secured by appropriate adhesive to the central filler layer 37. A rectangular or square opening 39 is centrally cut out in the mat 30, the opening having a relatively thin inner border 40 adjacent thereto, which is formed by means of a die cut notch 41 made through the front and central filler layers 36 and 37 of the mat 30.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 the mats thus constructed may have the inner border 40 of one interchanged with the inner border of another which is of a different color or texture than the first mat. In FIG. 3, a mat A of one color includes an inner border A which is interchangeable with the inner border 40B of a mat 30B that is of a different color from the mat 30A. To remove the inner border 40, a razor or sharp knife 42 is inserted into the notch 41 of the two mats 30A and 30B so to cut the rear layer 38 of the mat, thereby fully separating the inner border from the remainder of the mat. The inner borders are then interchanged as shown in FIG. 4 and the rear sides of the borders are secured to the mats by means of strips of Scotch tape 43 or other equivalent adhesive means. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5 a white mat 44 is produced having a different colored inner border 40B and a mat 45 wherein a colored mat has an inner border without color.

In FIG. 6 a modified mat is shown which includes a white main body portion 51 and a removable outer border 52 separated by a notch 41 as similarly shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 7, a pair of mats having the construction illustrated in FIG. 6 and wherein one of the mats is colored, may be modified by interchanging the outer borders 52 and 52A to produce a mat 53 having an outer colored border 52A and a mat 54 having a plain white border 52B. Thus in FIGS. 6 and 7 a construction has been shown wherein there are interchangeable outer borders whereas in FIGS. 1 to 5, a construction has been shown wherein there are interchangeable inside borders. The outer borders 52A and 52B may also be the inner borders of large size mats 30, there being a series of mats of different sizes.

In FIGS. 8 to 13, inclusive, a construction is shown wherein there are overlay mats with liner effect. A mat having an inner border 61 constructed and notched as shown in FIG. 2, is diagonally cut full by a razor 42 to form diagonal cuts 62 across the corners of the partially cut borders 61. The sides 61A are then folded over against a rear side 63 as illustrated in FIG. 9, of the mat 60 and secured by appropriate adhesive means. Another mat 64 is then secured to the rear side 63 of the mat 60, the mat 64 having a central opening 65 which is smaller than the newly formed opening 66 of the mat 60. The resultant mat 67, shown in FIG. 12, thus has an inner border 68 which may be of a different color or finish from front side 69 of the original mat 60 and additionally the newly formed mat 67 has the relatively double thicker edge 70 for a more pleasing effect.

In FIGS. 14 to 16 inclusive, an overlay border construction is shown wherein the mat has a plurality of inner borders 81 and 82 secured to a front side 83 thereof so to produce a newly constructed mat 84 wherein there is a relatively thick and forwardly extending inner border 85. Obviously, the mat 80 and the border 85 may be of different texture or color, or they may be the same. The parts are secured together by an adhesive, not shown.

In FIGS. 17 and 18, an extension or reduction that construction is shown wherein a mat is formed from an inner mat component 91, an intermediate mat component 92 and an outer mat component 93 which upon their rear sides are secured together by means of adhesive 94 or the like. As shown in FIG. 18, the inner mat component 91 may include the rearwardly folded sides 91A forming an inner border as is illustrated in FIG. 9 of the drawing. Here, also, the various components may be made of different textures or colors.

In FIGS. 19 and 20, a wrap around reversible mat construction is shown wherein the mat 10f) is provided with a partially cut inner border 101, diagonal cuts being made across the corners of inner borders 101 and 102, and the front and central filler layers 36 and 37 as best seen in FIG. 2 respectively being peeled off, after which the rear layer 38 is folded and secured adjacent the front side of the mat so to form a wrap around reversible mat wherein the central opening has a slightly relatively thicker edge 103. The rear layer 38 will have been preferably formed of well-looking paper sheet material.

In FIGS. 21 and 22 the mat 30 is shown wherein the inner border 40 may be either retained or removed as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 respectively to form a mat htving an appropriate size central opening 30'.

In FIGS. 23 and 24, a shadow box effect construction is shown wherein the finished mat is formed from a pair of mats 111 and 112. The mat 111 is formed in a manner as is illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10 inclusive, wherein the inner border edges 61A are folded back against the rear side of the mat and secured thereto. The mat 112 includes an inner border 113, notched at 113, the corners of the border 113 receiving diagonal cuts 114, after which the border sides 113A are bent slightly rearward. The mat 111 is secured by adhesive to a front side of the mat 112, and the relatively greater thickness of the central opening in the mat 111 caused by the rearwardly bent inner border 61A provides space for maintaining the border 113 of the front mat 112 to remain at an inwardly bent angle.

Thus, there has been provided a readily adjustable picture mat which may be suitably made interchangeable and adjustable for accommodating pictures of various sizes and wherein the mat design may be suitably altered for various pleasing effects.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction it is understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a readily adjustable picture mat the combination of a mat member of generally rectangular configuration, said mat member having a front and rear side, said front and rear side being bounded by parallel side edges and top and bottom edges, said mat having a central opening of rectangular configuration, said mat member being formed from a plurality of laminations comprising a front layer of relatively thin material which may be specifically colored or textured, a central layer of relatively greater thickness and made from relatively cheap paper filler, and a rear layer of relatively thin sized paper, said mat member having a notch of rectangular configuration extending through said front and central layers to define a border area.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said border area is adjacent said central opening.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said border area is adjacent the outer edge of said mat member.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein a plurality of mat members of different colors have said border area removed from said mat members, and said border areas are interchangeable with said mat members and secured thereto.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein the corners of said border area are diagonally cut and the sides of said border area are rearwardly bent and secured by an adhesive to a rear side of said mat member to provide a mat having a relatively greater th'ckness on the edges of said central opening.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein a second mat having a relatively smaller central opening is affixed by adhesive to a rear side of the first said mat having such rearwardly turned border sides.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said border areas are secured by adhesive one upon another, said border areas being of equal size, and said border areas thus secured together being secured by an adhesive around the edge of a central opening of said mat member.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein a front layer and a rear layer of said border area are peeled away, and the front layer of said border area is rearwardly turned and afiixed by adhesive to a rear side of said mat member.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein a second mat is afiixed to a rear side of the first said mat, said second mat having a border area adjacent the central opening, said border area being diagonally cut at the corners thereof, and said border sides being diagonally rearwardly depressed to produce a shadow box effect.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 194,368 8/1877 Phillips 40-158 5 452,911 5/1891 Bainbridge 40-158 460,663 10/1891 Searvogle 40158 817,043 4/1906 Cheney 40158 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

w. J. CONTRERAS, Examiner. 

1. IN A READILY ADJUSTABLE PICTURE MAT THE COMBINATION OF A MAT MEMBER OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION, SAID MAT MEMBER HAVING A FRONT AND REAR SIDE, SAID FRONT AND REAR SIDE BEING BOUNDED BY PARALLEL SIDE EDGES AND TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, SAID MAT HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING OF RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION, SAID MAT MEMBER BEING FORMED FROM A PLURALITY OF LAMINATIONS COMPRISING A FRONT LAYER OF RELATIVELY THIN MATERIAL WHICH MAY BE SPECIFICALLY COLORED OR TEXTURED, A CENTRAL LAYER OF RELATIVELY GREATER THICKNESS AND MADE FROM RELATIVELY CHEAP PAPER FILLER, AND A REAR LAYER OF RELATIVELY THIN SIZED PAPER, SAID MAT MEMBER HAVING A NOTCH OF RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FRONT AND CENTRAL LAYERS TO DEFINE A BORDER AREA. 